Death of Brian Sinclair


Brian Sinclair was age 45 when he died September 21, 2008 while waiting for medical attention in Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. Brian was a double amputee in a wheelchair and had been brought to the center for a blocked catheter. Sinclair arrived in a taxi van at the emergency department just before 3 p.m. September 19, 2008. A video of his arrival is on YouTube. He was dead for two to seven hours before someone in authority noticed and it is estimated he waited thirty-four hours. Security officer Gary Francis found Brian Sinclair dead.
Nurses thought he was intoxicated. Patients next to Brian spoke to authorities for him but were ignored. Seventeen people working at the facility witnessed Brian Sinclair waiting.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority released a statement on the death written by Arlene Wilgosh, stating "Mr. Sinclair’s death was preventable. He came to us seeking care, and we failed him."